Major League Baseball

Beltran, Mets GM clear air over surgery

Published Jan. 16, 2010 4:40 p.m. ET

foxsports

Tension eased between the New York Mets and outfielder Carlos Beltran on Friday.

General manager Omar Minaya told The New York Post he spoke with the center fielder and assured Beltran isn't the target of the organization's frustration. Earlier in the week, the Mets claimed they never gave the go-ahead for Beltran to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery Wednesday.

"Everything is good with us and Carlos Beltran," Minaya said. "I just let him know the issue is more with the process, not from Beltran's side, but from other people's side."

Agent Scott Boras had said the Mets approved the surgery performed by Dr. Richard Steadman in Vail, Colo.

Minaya confirmed Beltran's account that they spoke Tuesday, with Beltran telling the GM he wanted to have surgery. But whereas Beltran said Minaya wished him well, the GM says the conversation didn't serve as official approval.

"We did speak after he got the report from (Steadman) and they told me what they wanted to do, and I didn't tell him not to do it," Minaya said. "But I told him it would have to go through the proper protocol."

Minaya would not say if he subsequently spoke to Boras, but a club official said the GM left a message for the agent saying not to proceed with surgery. It was unclear whether Boras received the message before Beltran went under the knife.